Washington, D.C. Smart-guided Bikeway Tour - a Selfie Cycle adventure

See what you miss with other tour types. Ditch the tour guide and the group's agenda. Experience the nation's Capitol at the speed of bike!

Washington D.C. is an amazing city to visit by bike! Multiple bikeways and bike lanes create a welcoming environment for cycling throughout. It is rich in historical, cultural, architectural, natural, political, and social content. Many of its museums, memorials, sites, and attractions have free admission. This Smart-guided tour you may want to repeat to take all of D.C. in - and with CycleNuts Selfie Tours, you can. Your ticket never expires.

Six miles of this 24-mile tour are used on the C&O Trail to get to and from the free parking area. The other 18 miles provide a brief opportunity to tour the most popular D.C. attractions. As always, with CycleNuts Selfie Tours, you control where you go and when you roll. Easily, the route can be shortened or lengthened to add or remove stops with the touch of a finger. There are numerous pay-to-park locations along the route if you would prefer to shorten your ride.

The tour begins in nature's domain sandwiched between the Potomac River and the C&O Canal in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park. For a short while you ride in the company of chipmunks, birds, butterflies, skunks, squirrels, woodchucks, forest mice, and other woodland critters. And then, at the speed of bike, you are in D.C.

The route follows the topography of the land, which is mostly level with some ramps and rolls. Gears or e-bike boost at points along the way will smooth things out. Sweat may happen, but possibly more from the waterfront humidity than the exertion. Speaking of sweating - it's optional. You set your pace, starting time, and touring agenda with CycleNuts' expert smart-guided cycle tour pattern. The route is 83% bikeway and bike lane. In some short segments the route shares the road with motor vehicles. About 50% of the tour route is shaded.

Below is a short points-of-interest list - it barely covers the basics of any D.C. tour. Most of the places on the list are along the tour route, or just a couple of blocks off-route. The list is divided into places the route directly and indirectly passes. The Smart-guide is easily amended. The turnaround spot at a tasty stop segways from Segment 1 to Segment 2 of the tour route. It has outdoor seating available where those traveling with a dog are welcome. You can add stops that pique your interest and drop stops that don't.

Points of interest on the route:

• Tidal Basin - built in the 17th century harnassing the ocean tide to flush the Washington Channel of silt and sediment.
• Rock Creek - is a tributary of the Potomac River where ancient camps date back to 2,500 B.C.
• Georgetown - upscale revamp of cobblestone neighborhoods and 17th-century buildings along the C&O Canal and Potomac River waterfront.
• National Mall - the two-mile greenspace is host to events of all sizes and is home to the iconic Washington Monument, National Gallery of Art, Lincoln Memorial, and U.S. Capitol.
• Potomac River - is a major mid-Atlantic region river running from West Virginia's highlands to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.

• Fletchers Cove - historically dates back to the mid-19th century as a boathouse and popular meeting spot on the Potomac River.
• Rock Creek Park - was officially authorized in 1890, making it the third national park to be designated by the federal government.
• Columbia Island - renamed in 1968 as Lady Bird Johnson Park, which is the whole island, known for its tulips, sculptures, and memorials.
• Old Stone House - built in 1766 is D.C.'s oldest structure still sitting on its original foundation.
• The White House - since John Adams in 1800 has served as the official residence of every U.S. President.

• Lincoln Memorial - is the iconic national memorial honoring the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln.
• Japanese Lantern - which lights up during festivals, was presented to the U.S. by Japan as a lasting token of peace.
• C&O Canal Lock 1- is the first of a four-part series of locks on the historical C&O Canal.
• C&O Canal Lock 4 - is the final lock of a four-part series of locks on the C&O Canal.
• Peace Monument - erected in 1878, commemorates naval personnel lost at sea during the Civil War.

• Hirshhorn Museum - part of the Smithsonian Institute, displays contemporary art and culture on a national level.
• Library of Congress - established in 1800 as a research center for Congress, is the United State's oldest cultural institution and the largest library in the world.
• United States Capitol - whose image is recognized worldwide has served as home to the legislative branch of the U.S. government since the late 18th century.
• World War II Memorial - is a national memorial dedicated to those who served in the military and as civilians during World War II.
• Smithsonian Institution - founded in 1846 is now the largest museum, education, and research complex in the world.

• Washington Monument - one of the world's most iconic symbols, stands 555 feet high honoring the first United States President, George Washington.
• George Mason Memorial - commemorates an important Founding Father of the nation and his contributions to the writing of the United States Constitution.
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal - the remnants of the once vibrant 19th-century transportation corridor from the Potomac River to the west remains as an important pedestrian/pedaling corridor on its mostly original earthen towpath.
• The National Gallery of Art - established in 1937, is one of the largest and most visited museums in the United States, where the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci is on display in the Americas.
• Ulysses S. Grant Memorial - unveiled in 1924 in honor of Civil War General and 18th United States President, Ulysses S. Grant.

• International Spy Museum - contains the world's largest collection of international spy stuff - both real and not real - on public display, including a collection of James Bond Movie vehicles.
• National Archives Museum - is home to the original Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and over 3 billion other records.
• White House Visitor Center - gives visitors a peak into the White House, including an interactive touchscreen tour.
• Theodore Roosevelt Bridge - named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th United States President opened in 1964 to carry both interstate and pedestrian traffic over the Potomac River.
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial - opened in 1943, built in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the third United States President, Founding Father, and influential Constitutional contributor.

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial - a memorial of more than 58,000 names of servicemen and women who died in the Vietnam conflict.
• National Children's Museum - is an interactive museum for children up to age 12 and their families.
• United States Botanic Garden - fulfills George Washington's vision of a national garden to promote plant awareness and necessity in American life.
• Korean War Veterans Memorial - dedicated in 1995 memorializes those who served in the Korean War.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial - opened in 2011 is the first African American memorial on the National Mall.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial - honors Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th United States President and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II.
• Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool - is the largest of several reflecting pools in Washington, D.C.
• Hains Point East Cherry Blossoms Area - starting in 1912 the planting of cherry trees in Washington DC originated as a gift of friendship from Japan to the United States.
• Supreme Court of the United States Building - opened in 1935, houses the highest judiciary court in the United States.
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park - is an 184-mile linear National Park along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal stretching from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland.
• The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution - is one of the most popular museums in the world and the world's largest aircraft and spacecraft collection.

Points of interest near the route:

• The Pentagon
• C&O Canal Mile 0
• D.C. War Memorial
• Garfield Monument
• Georgetown University
• Albert Einstein Memorial
• Theodore Roosevelt Island
• Arlington National Cemetary
• Theodore Roosevelt Memorial
• National Symphony Orchestra
• Washington National Cathedral
• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• Smithsonian National Zoological Park
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History
• National Museum of African American History and Culture

Bikeways on the route:

• Mt. Vernon Trail
• Rock Creek Trail
• U.S. Bicycle Rte 50
• Tidal Basin Loop Trail
• Capital Crescent Trail
• Haines Point Loop Trail
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath

HERE'S THE PLAN: You bring a bike and a smartphone. CycleNuts provides the smart-tour guide! Via an email, you receive an expertly designed tour route. Click the emailed link and follow the Selfie Tour route using your smartphone as your smart-tour guide for the Voice and Map guided turn-by-turn instructions.

From your location click on link 1 provided by CycleNuts (using your cell phone) and follow the Google Maps directions to the starting spot. Unload your bike (if you transported it to the starting spot), or if you rode to the starting spot, you are good to go. Click on link 2 provided by CycleNuts and begin the tour (for more complex tours there may also be a link 3 or 4 to click on along the way and additional instructions).

ARE YOU READY TO ROLL? GREAT... LET'S HIT THE TRAILS!

GET YOUR TICKET TODAY! - the tour starting and ending times on the ticket are only a general guideline to give you an idea of how much time the tour may take at the minimum. Your time in the saddle, on the trail, and starting times are your call - it's your tour. One ticket equals fun for all! Bring as many people as you wish on your tour. Ticket purchase is for the CycleNuts Selfie Smart-guided route only. Attractions, lodgings, food, bike rental, etc. are not included in the ticket purchase.

CycleNuts Selfie Tours tie together fun, interesting, scenic, historic, tasty, and refreshing points of interest along a bikeway-focused tour route where you ride at your pace and pleasure. You are the tour boss. You pick the date and time - the ticket is good for any day or time - dates/times listed only as a guideline to give you an idea of how long the tour normally takes.

With these smart-guided bikeway cycling adventures, you bring the bike and smartphone, and CycleNuts provides the Smart Guide. The Smart Guide gives voice and visual turn-by-turn instructions along an expertly designed and tested tour route.

Do the tour solo or bring along your crew. 1 ticket = fun for all! Easily stop anywhere along the way to visit attractions or refreshments and the Smart Guide will continue the route from wherever you are when you are ready to roll.

Got questions? - Get answers! – http://CycleNuts.link FAQS

Where you want to go? Let's go together!

Or just wear this cool t-shirt and send me a selfie picture.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

CycleNuts Selfie Cycle Tour - Washington D.C., Fletcher's Cove, Washington, United States